Chelsea issue ultimatum to Spaniard

Chelsea have given Fernando Torres a month to prove himself to manager Rafa Benitez and already have a replacement lined up in case he doesn’t.

Torres has struggled to find his feet at Chelsea since his £50million switch from Liverpool in 2011. Despite starting this season in positive fashion, scoring four times in the first seven league matches, he has now gone 648 minutes without a league goal.

Chelsea boss Benitez still has faith in the striker who he managed to bring the best out of while manager of Liverpool and feels it’s too early to write him off.

“We have had, maybe, five training sessions. It’s still too early. But for me we are watching things that are positive.” Benitez said of Torres to the Mirror

The Blues chief has even devised a new fitness regime in a bid to return the much maligned Torres to his best form.

Metalist Kharkivs’s Brazilian striker Taison is already lined up as a replacement if Torres doesn’t manage to do this.

Taison, 24, was in the stands at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea’s goalless draw with Fulham on Wednesday and reports from South America suggest the striker will sign a £10million deal next week ahead of the start of the January transfer window.